Hallelujah! No more bloated Start Menu w/ 1903!

Just did my first clean install w/ 1903, no more bloat in the Start Menu! Sweet Jesus, Microsoft did something right!

I didn’t check before joining the laptop to our domain but after logging in with a new domain user account there were only 2 tiles pinned by default: Office (advertisement) and Edge (sigh.) Looking through the Start Menu there were no shortcuts in the app list either for Candy Crush or the rest of that crap. The only thing I don’t like is the narrow Start Menu layout it defaults to, it looks terrible on a 1366 x 768 laptop screen, same with the taller OneDrive right-click menu which only provides the benefit of the Settings link not being covered by the advertisement pop-up that appears on first click.

Windows 10 Pro, joined to an Active Directory domain.

Conversation 9 comments

  • joshhuggins

    24 May, 2019 - 4:35 pm

    <p>Think it's determined when you pick if this is a persona or work PC that triggers if it gets the crap or not. I just did a clean install of Win 10 pro x64 not joined to a domain and all the crap was still in there. Would make keeping a domain controller around just for this purpose at home. :)</p>

  • robinwilson16

    24 May, 2019 - 5:54 pm

    <p>I can confirm on my PC that they removed all the Disney stuff from appearing or being installed and reduced the start menu by one pane (but you can still drag it wider and install all that Mickey Mouse stuff if required (might be fun for children?). It changed a while back on the insider builds. I'm glad they saw sense with this!</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    25 May, 2019 - 2:12 am

    <p>Not looking before joining the domain…</p><p>We have a Group-Policy script that removes all App Store apps from the start menu when the user logs onto the PC.</p>

    • waethorn

      27 May, 2019 - 9:27 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430549">In reply to wright_is:</a></em></blockquote><p>You can use the above script I mentioned as an MDT process.</p>

  • Intara

    25 May, 2019 - 4:39 am

    <p>Really, I don't want to get into a state where I will be happy about that M$ has removed some links to crappy apps from the start menu. But I guess these small things are what most Windows 10 users will be happy about in the future. Reduce your expectations, and in the end you will become a true Windows 10 fan.</p>

    • longhorn

      25 May, 2019 - 10:08 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#430555">In reply to Intara:</a></em></blockquote><p>I listened to a podcast and a developer said that when Microsoft announced that the start button will make a comeback in Windows 8.1 they got a standing ovation.</p><p>It was an awkward moment.</p><p><br></p>

  • waethorn

    26 May, 2019 - 8:46 pm

    <p>Run the Windows 10 Decrapifier script in Audit Mode.</p><p><br></p><p>community.spiceworks.com/scripts/show/4378-windows-10-decrapifier-1803-1809</p><p><br></p><p>If you don't want any of the Windows Store crap getting in the way, use the -allapps and -clearstart parameters.</p><p><br></p><p>You can also remove IE, and a bunch of other stuff like the Math Recognition panel, SSH client, Media Player, and a few other things in the optional features list.</p><p><br></p><p>NOTE: There is a MAJOR bug in 32-bit 1903 install images wherein if you remove Windows Fax &amp; Scan, it'll cause a BSOD on boot — no idea why, but it's a Kernel Mode Missing Exception. My recommendation is not to touch other stuff in the legacy Control Panel optional features list, since Microsoft obviously isn't paying attention to regressions in legacy features. Stick to the new Settings optional feature list.</p>

  • luthair

    27 May, 2019 - 8:27 pm

    <p>Ugh, I thought you were saying the ridiculous section headers, and comically oversized icons were removed.</p>

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